BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Police in Chikwawa district have arrested Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) member Gerald Viola for using a government vehicle as collateral to obtain a loan from a Ngabu based usury businessman.
Southern Region Police spokesperson Ramsy Mshani has confirmed.
Viola, who is the deputy chief executive officer of the National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA), is reportedly to have pawned the government vehicle last year.
But this week some officials from the Office of the President and Cabinet identified the vehicle at Ngabu Trading Centre and they immediately reprted the matter to police so that they can confiscate it.
According to OPC officials, the original number plate of the vehicle— a black Toyota Camry—is MG489AE but the loan shark changed it to ZA 8831.
As a DPP sympathizer, viola was today morning visited by by Leader of Opposition Kondwani Nankhumwa.
Nankhumwa also visited Ward councilor Jomo Osman at Limbe Police Station before proceeding to Chikwawa.
Osman has been re-arrested on accusations that he assaulted UTM party members and former legislature Allan Ngumuya in Blantyre.
He is also being accused of assaulting a boy for wearing Malawi Congress Party (MCP) cloth ahead of the May 2019 tripartite elections.
Osman was granted bail last week by the Blantyre Magistrate Court when he was charged with malicious damage and theft contrary to section 344(1) and 278 of the Penal Code.
During the campaign period the Tonse Alliance promised to end impunity in government by arresting all government-sponsored criminals and all looters and plunders of the public resources.
Yesterday 12 police officers were arrested in connection with the death of murder suspect Buleya Lule who died in police custody.
Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) official Rosa Mbilizi is also behind bars for abusing her office.
